Can the BMW M2 be the player that the 1M was?

The upcoming BMW M2 is probably the most hotly anticipated BMW at the moment. The launching of the 7 Series, X1, 3 Series LCI and …

The upcoming BMW M2 is probably the most hotly anticipated BMW at the moment. The launching of the 7 Series, X1, 3 Series LCI and the M4 GTS combined won’t gather the sort of attention that the M2 will. It’s a downright exciting car. But it won’t be debuting anytime soon, as BMW currently has its hands full with the launches of several other cars. There are a lot of players on the BMW roster that need the playing time at the moment. But when the time is right, BMW will let the M2 off the bench and onto the field to prove what it can do.

But while we wait, we speculate, it’s what car enthusiasts do. What will it be like? What kind of power will be make? Will it be the E46 M3 reincarnate?

We know none of these things for certain. What we do know is that this will be the replacement for the ever so missed BMW 1 Series M. So hopefully it will be a successor in spirit as well as in the lineup. And, according to a member of BMW 2 Series forum, 2Addicts, the M2 actually might be just the 1 Series M successor we’ve been waiting for.

The BMW M2 shares many similarities with the, gone but never forgotten, 1 Series M. They both use M tuned versions of standard BMW engines and not bespoke M engines, like the M3 and M4. The M2 engine will use an updated version of the N55 engine, the same engine previously used in the 335i and currently used in the M235i. However, the M2 will have power boosted to around 360 hp. The M2 will also only be available in four colors, much like the 1 Series M. These colors will most likely include some M2 specific colors, like the Valencia Orange color of the 1 Series M. The interior will also have contrast stitching of said color on the interior, with limited interior color scheme options.

So while the M2 will be a bit bigger than the 1 Series M and probably a bit heavier, too, it will still be the closes thing to it. Plus, with it’s extra horsepower, newer chassis, possible DCT gearbox and new BMW knowhow built in, it will probably be faster. Will it be more fun to drive? We won’t know until we can get our paws on it. But the 1 Series M was a transcendent car, so the M2 better have its game face on if it wants to replace one of the best players in BMW’s history.